The prospect of Long Sutton Parish Council moving its meetings to The Market House is to be discussed later this month.

Pat Wells, a volunteer at The Market House, told councillors that moving there would be “like a seal of approval”.

She said: “There’s a great belief locally that The Market House is run by the parish council and subsidised by it.

“I just think it would look good of Long Sutton Parish Council holds its meetings there because it represents the community and it’s almost like a seal of approval.”

Long Sutton Parish Council has left the door open for Gedney and Lutton to be part of its Neighbourhood Plan.

Both parish councils declined an offer to be included in the plan, opting instead to produce their own.

Coun Charles Moore, chairman of Long Sutton Parish Council, said: “As always, we hold an olive branch out and the door open for anyone who wants to join us after they have seen the paperwork involved in producing a Neighbourhood Plan.”

Tim Machin, chairman of Long Sutton and District Civic Society, said: “Whilst I’m disappointed that neighbouring parishes do not want to participate in Long Sutton’s Neighbourhood Plan, I’m encouraged that they are intending to carry out their own plans.

“We will all need to work very closely together though to make sure that policies for new housing, employment and supporting infrastructure work in harmony with each other.’

“However, the inevitable fear is that we could end up with a big time lag between different plans.”

Spalding CID are investigating a GBH that occurred around 11.30pm on June 11.

The 41-year-old male victim was walking on Ambleside Avenue, Spalding, when he was assaulted by another man with a weapon believed to be a baseball bat.

The victim was treated at Boston Pilgrim hospital for head injuries.

Police are appealing for any witnesses to the incident.

DC Matt Nottidge would like to hear from you if you have any information that could assist the enquiry.

There are a number of ways you can report:

• Via the non-emergency number 101, quoting incident number 15 of June 12.

• Through the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.

• In an emergency always call 999.

Two men have been sentenced to a total of five years’ jail following the death of a father of five at a building site nearly three years ago.

Andrew Winterton and Dean Wortley appeared at Northampton Crown Court on Friday following a nine-week trial which ended earlier this month.

Shane Wilkinson (33), formerly of Victory Gardens, Crowland, was employed as a grounds worker at the Conquest Homes building site in Collyweston when he died on September 4, 2014.

During the trial, the court heard how Mr Wilkinson had been standing next to a deep trench that had been incorrectly excavated by trench digger-driver Wortley.

When an unsecured trench wall collapsed, Mr Wilkinson was completely buried underneath the rubble.

Despite the best efforts of fellow workers, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Site manager and director of Conquest Homes, Winterton (52), of High Street, Collyweston, was convicted of gross negligence manslaughter – the first case to be successfully tried in Northamptonshire.

Winterton was given a four-year jail sentence. He will spend half the time in custody and half on licence. He was also ordered to pay costs of £90,500.

Wortley (48), of Market Deeping, who traded as Clearview Demolition, was convicted of a failure as a self-employed person to discharge his duty to ensure the health and safety of persons not in his employment, contrary to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

He was also found guilty of failing to take all practicable steps to prevent danger, contrary to the Construction Regulations 2007.

He was given a 12-month sentence and will spend six months in custody and six months on licence. He was also ordered to pay £20,000 towards costs.

Both men were convicted following a joint investigation by Northamptonshire Police and the Health and Safety Executive.

During the trial, the court heard evidence which showed the sides of the trench had not been properly or adequately secured and that Wortley and Winterton had ignored basic safety measures.

Speaking after the sentencing, senior investigating officer, Detective Superintendent Steve Woliter, from Northamptonshire Police, said: “As a single parent of five young children, Shane Wilkinson had only been working on the Collyweston construction site for a couple of days during the early part of September 2014 because he needed money to buy school shoes for his children.

“His death was an avoidable and terrible loss of life due to the gross negligence of Winterton and the dangerous environment created by both him and Wortley.

“Shane’s death could easily have been avoided if Winterton and Wortley had shown any regard for basic safety measures on the site.

“No sentence imposed will ever turn back time for Shane or his family, however, I do hope this sentence sends out a clear message to others that adequate safeguards must be put in place to prevent people from harm.”

A Deeping St Nicholas youngster is having life-changing medical treatment in the USA thanks to the generosity of Lincolnshire Free Press readers.

Kieran Taylor (seven) is in his second week of proton beam therapy to treat a rare brain tumour called craniopharyngioma which causes eyesight problems, behavioural changes and slow growth.

The youngster, along with sister Caitlin (nine), mother Karen and father Steve flew out to the University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend.

But it was only made possible by a fundraising appeal led by our sister newspaper, The Spalding Guardian, where readers, churches, charities and St John the Baptist Primary School, which Kieran and Caitlin both attend, raised well over £10,000 for the family’s medical trip.

Karen said: “Things have been great and we’re absolutely ecstatic that everybody has been so wonderful to us in getting everything sorted out.

“Raising the money has been absolutely brilliant and the children think it’s marvellous as well.

“We had three and a half weeks to acclimatize before Kieran was supposed to have started his treatment on Tuesday, June 20, but he had a few problems with lying still for the treatment.

“So it started on Wednesday, June 21, and Kieran has treatment for half an hour a day, Monday to Friday, for 30 days.

“He’s taking everything in his stride and doesn’t seem to be bothered about anything, except that he has to work on keeping his head still for the treatment.”

Kieran is having proton beam therapy to destroy cancerous cells in his brain which are close to a vital blood vessel.

The brain tumour had been previously operated on at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge last May where surgeons were able to remove 95 per cent of the tumour.

But Karen said: “Apparently, they didn’t get the whole of the tumour out and it’s touching the main blood vessel in his brain.

“This treatment will stop the tumour spreading so that there won’t be any more adverse effects on his sight or blood vessel.

“Kieran won’t need to have any more operations, but the treatment won’t get rid of the conditions he has as a result of the tumour.”

The family are staying in accommodation run by the Ronald McDonald House Charity, a non-profit organisation linked to the global fast food giant.

Karen said: “It’s made our lives so much easier so we can concentrate on Kieran without having any worries.”

Firefighters used one hose reel and two beaters to extinguish approximately 40 metres of grassland on Tydd Road, West Pinchbeck yesterday (Monday).

A crew from Spalding attended the incident at 2.52pm.

A mum from Latvia was shopping when police broke into her flat and placed her home-alone, four-year-old daughter in emergency care. The mum believed her daughter would be safe while she went out for an hour.

But a neighbour alerted police and the mum, who at first thought her child had been abducted, ended up spending seven hours in a police cell.

Her elder child, now 14, got home to find police waiting and was taken to Spalding Police Station.

A report from Community Connectors – a church-led project to help integrate east Europeans into local society – says: “He was told his mother was at another police station; he was not given any details or reassurance about what was happening.

“During the seven hours he was there he was very stressed and upset and thought he and his sister would be taken away from his mother.”

Vicar of Spalding, the Rev John Bennett, who heads Community Connectors, says it is common in Latvia for parents to leave young children alone at home, but he believes lessons must be learned.

Mr Bennett said: “Behind this distressing incident are different assumptions about the safety of leaving a young child at home on their own.

“For the mum, coming from Latvia, where people are more used to looking out for their neighbours, the risk was perceived to be very low that the daughter would come to any harm.

“However, the law in this country reflects the safety-conscious approach that has grown up in the last couple of generations, where children are much more closely monitored; it is important that everyone knows the law and appreciates the consequences of breaking it.”

The incident happened in December, and last week the Free Press spoke to the mum Kristine (not her real name).

She explained she remains “really shocked” by what happened but now understands the law and will never again leave one of her children home alone.

Kristine’s grasp of English is incomplete and at one point she asked us to put a question to her again “using different words”.

She describes her understanding of Russian as “about the same” as her understanding of English.

Kristine first went to Spalding Police Station because she believed Anna had been abducted.

The Community Connectors report reveals Kristine was arrested there, but didn’t realise that until she was taken to Boston Police Station.

It says the mum was given a Russian-speaking translator and an English speaking solicitor while detained.

The report reveals it was a real ordeal for her daughter, who we are calling Anna.

It says: “Anna was obviously terrified to have someone break into the flat and take her away and to be put with a family who could not reassure her in her own language did not help to alleviate her fears.”

The family has since been reunited.

Kristine was given a community order with 80 hours unpaid work when she pleaded guilty in court to leaving Anna unsupervised.

Community Policing Inspector Gareth Boxall: “We cannot comment on an individual case but the safeguarding of children and vulnerable people will always be our priority. We take incidents of concern and neglect of children seriously and work closely with our partners to act upon such reports.

“In any case where someone feels that they have been treated unfairly by the Police we would urge them to consider making a complaint to our Professional Standards Department. We are always keen to work with community groups and will be contacting Rev Bennett.”

• What do you think? Email readers’ letters to jeremy.ransome@iliffepublishing.co.uk

The man who died yesterday at Stainby Quarry has been named by police as Richard Marjoram, aged 57, from Deeping St Nicholas.

Ben Marjoram, Richard’s son, said: “we are deeply shocked and upset at the death of my father, who was a very special husband to mum and also a fantastic father and much loved grandfather. Words cannot describe how much we will miss him.”

This is currently a joint investigation involving the Police and the Health and Safety Executive.

A ‘much loved’ Deeping St Nicholas grandfather has died in an industrial accident at Stainby Quarry, near Grantham.

Richard Marjoram (57) was involved in an accident with a Heavy Goods Vehicle at the Buckminster site yesterday morning (Monday July 3) and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ben Marjoram, Richard’s son, said: “We are deeply shocked and upset at the death of my father, who was a very special husband to mum and also a fantastic father and much-loved grandfather. Words cannot describe how much we will miss him.”

An investigation is being conducted by police and the Health and Safety Executive.

A Lincolnshire Police spokesman said: “We received a report at just after 11am of an industrial accident involving an HGV and a 57-year-old man who was an employee at the quarry which is on Crabtree Road, Buckminster.”

Measures to protect Long Sutton’s derelict Bull Hotel site from vandalism and trespassing have been backed by parish councillors.

A series of historical photographs from the town’s past are to be put in the windows at the Grade II-listed building through an initiative led by Long Sutton and District Civic Society.

During a parish council meeting last Tuesday, it was revealed that hopes of an “early resolution” to the hotel’s redevelopment were no nearer after a meeting between civic society members, parish and district councillors in April.

Tim Machin, chairman of Long Sutton and District Civic Society, said: “There’s no chance, that we can see, of an early resolution to the Bull Hotel’s future and with no one stepping up to do the work, the only thing is to do it ourselves.

“We are planning to carry out temporary fencing work at the Bull Hotel and hopefully will follow that up with some artwork and photographs on the window panels.”

As the site is still under private ownership, the parish council’s options are limited , as members are not legally allowed to spend public money for the benefit of individuals.

Despite this, parish council chairman Coun Charles Moore said: “I’m of the opinion that we need to do something about the Bull Hotel and, realistically, I don’t the civic society’s proposal is a bad one.

“We have to deal with the realities of today and, whether it’s right or whether it’s wrong, we need to tidy the site up.”

Meanwhile, the parish council has agreed to a £1,500 grant for the civic society towards projects that include an updated history of Long Sutton.

The grant, which includes a £500 chairman’s allowance, will go towards a new edition of the book, A History of Long Sutton and District, originally written by Frank Robinson and last published in 2008.

Mr Machin said: “I’m delighted that Long Sutton Parish Council has agreed to provide support to the society and help us undertake our current, ambitious programme of activities.

“This includes our plans to publish a revised history of the town later this year.”

A campaign group has been formed to protect the former Deepings Showground from future development.

The Friends of Mill Field, made up of people who either use or have an interest in the site off Millfield Road, Market Deepings, has applied for it to have “town or village green” status.

Under planning law, if land has been used for the public to enjoy for more than 20 years, a community can apply for it to be classed in a way that would stop homes or businesses being built on it.

The group is to give more details of its plans during a public meeting tonight at Deepings Community Centre, Douglas Road, Market Deeping, at 7pm.

Pamela Steel, a Friends of Mill Field member, said: “I and many other users have been walking on the field for years, appreciating this valued countryside within walking distance of our homes.

“We are applying for the registration of the field as a Village Green because it is a valued piece of open space which has been used by people living in the Market Deeping regularly and without hindrance since the 1960s.

“Some users, as would be expected, come from neighbouring villages outside Market Deeping for a wide range of activities, including jogging, dog walking, fruit picking and children’s play.

“Mill Field has been ‘the countryside on our doorstep’ for a significant number of inhabitants of Market Deeping for well over 20 years and no attempt has been made by the owner to prevent people using the land.”

The group applied to Lincolnshire County Council for Mill Field to be made a village green after it emerged that a draft of South Kesteven District Council’s (SKDC) Local Plan had identified the land as suitable for 200 new homes.

Mrs Steel said: “When SKDC held an informal consultation on its Local Plan last year, I was among nearly 100 people who opposed the housing proposals.

“But the council has ignored our comments so we have no choice but to protest in other ways.”

Coun Ashley Baxter, Independent SKDC member for Market and West Deeping, said: “Mill Field is known to many residents as the Deepings Showground because of the community-organised events that took place on the field for many years.

“I have made suggestions for other community uses for the land but these have fallen on deaf ears.

A county council spokesman said: “We have received an application for Mill Field to be registered as a village green and it is currently going through our initial checks and assessments.”

Three fire crews are currently at the scene of a crop fire in Sutton St James.

Two main jets and beaters are being used on the field of standing crop at Baulkins Drove.

The annual Long Sutton Horse and Pony Show took place on Sunday.

Despite rainfall at the end of last week, the ground at Cinder Ash Park was in perfect condition for visitors - human, equine and canine.

Last year, a week of rain forced cancellation the day before the show, when a lorry went onto Cinder Ash Park and got stuck up to its axle.

There was a day full of fun-packed classes, dressage and even a family dog show, which ran alongside the horse show, and proved very popular.

There were competitive classes for senior and junior riders, a ‘fun’ ring, a dressage ring and a handy pony ring with all sorts of tests and obstables for younger riders.

In addition, there was a dog show, including an ability ring, rally and scurry and 16 classes, including waggiest tail and most appealing eyes.

Show secretary Lisa Kerwood said: “It was really good. and everyone seemed to have a really lovely time.

“Unfortunately, there were six other shows going on - when we started there was around one show a month!

“But we had lots of footfall and more public than before. We are thinking about bringing back jumping for next year’s show and we are open to suggestions .”

Monies raised from the show will go to two local charities, which will be decided at the show’s next committee meeting in the autumn.

* See more pictures from the show in this week’s Spalding Guardian.

Spalding Police Station was closed for enquiries briefly today after a World War mortar shell turned up on its counter.

The military weapon was brought in by a resident in the middle of a week-long firearms surrender organised by Lincolnshire Police.

People can take their unlicensed or unwanted firearms, ammunition, war memorabilia and imitation weapons to any police station between now and Monday, without facing charges.

Speaking about the wartime delivery to Spalding Police Station, a spokesman said: “A member of the public had brought in a World War II mortar shell that had been in their attic for years.

“We closed public access (to Spalding Police Station) until an explosive ordnance disposal team arrived.

“They have taken the mortar shell away and it is likely that they will be carrying out a controlled detonation.”

Hungry visitors from far and wide packed into Carter’s Park for the fourth annual Holbeach Food Festival on Saturday.

This year’s show had more than 30 stalls, with Deeping Fudge and Fen Spirits - with their toffee vodka and flavoured gins - appearing for the first time.

Tesco offered fruit kebabs for children, while Holbeach Primary Academy tempted the crowd with a barbecue.

Returning were old favourites Bakkavor Pizzas, DGM Growers, Saints and Sinners, Berberis House Apiary, Laddies Ices and Old Fashioned Sweets with their vintage van, plus Shaun Taylor with the Old Exchange Bar and Churchill Ciders ready to help swill down the purchases.

There were cream teas, pizza, jams, lollies, burgers and cakes - and also fruit, healthy eating information, and slimming and exercise classes to remind visitors to keep all good things in proportion!

The event was compered by Chris Carter and Jan Whitbourn and band Capital Citizen were amongst those providing entertainment at the event, which ran from 10am to 4pm.

The festival moved to Carter’s Park this year, as the organisers needed more space to accommodate the number of producers and exhibitors wanting to take part.

One of the people behind the festival, Coun Nick Worth, said: “ We were very lucky on the day with the weather and we had a record turnout - around 2,000 people came along, up from 1,500 before.

“The location definitely made a difference and we had music which attracted people from the centre of town.

“The stallholders were really pleased - Churchill Cider, Fen Spirits and several others sold out, the fish man reported he had sold 60 crabs during the day and Bakkavor made 200 pizzas!

“People were enjoying having a picnic and listening to the music - it was the best festival we’ve had.”

Spalding Academy’s first leavers’ prom was held on Tuesday evening and was a glittering affair .

The Year 11 prom committee made the Springfields events centre venue look amazing in true Gatsby style and all students looked stunning arriving on the red carpet.

Previously, when under the Gleed banner, the school had shared its prom with the town’s two grammar schools.

Spalding Academy pastoral lead manager Ian Billinghurst said: “I was the student’s Head of Year for Years 9 and 10 and the whole year group have matured into hard working and conscientious students that always thrive to do their best in all situations, taking on challenges with a smile and determination to achieve.

“The prom was a fitting ending for this fantastic group of students who we are proud to say are the first cohort of Year 11 Spalding Academy students.

“This group have set the bar extremely high regarding effort, behaviour and focus and we all look forward to August now when we know the students’ hard work will be rewarded with some fantastic exam results.

“All the students looked fantastic and were a credit to themselves, their families and the school.”

Spalding Academy head Laurence Reilly said: “This particular group of students have seen a lot of changes throughout their five years at the school; their final year in particular was very different from what they were used to.

“I was amazed and delighted by their reaction to the intensive programme of support and challenge that came when the SLAT sponsorship of the school commenced last September.

“To my amazement, the students simply readily absorbed whatever was thrown at them and came back for more. I have never worked with a group of such conscientious students with such a positive attitude to learning and thirst for knowledge.

“It was therefore a pleasure for them to be able to relax after all their hard work and enjoy a final social evening together before they go their separate ways. As ever, their behaviour was exemplary and they celebrated in style, arriving in a variety of interesting and exotic vehicles and ‘dressed to impress’.

“The close partnership between staff and students was shown by the number of teachers and pastoral staff who attended the evening. As the event was exclusively for Spalding Academy Year 11 students, we were able to hold a lighthearted awards ceremony as part of the celebrations.

“I would just like to thank the parents of our students for trusting us with the education of their sons and daughters; we now look forward with quiet confidence, and a few nerves, to the GCSE results day in August where we hope that the students hard work is rewarded by success.

“The school is very grateful to Amanda Halifax and the team of the student prom committee who worked hard behind the scenes to make the event such a great success.”

* See THREE pages of pictures from the Spalding Academy prom in tomorrow’s Spalding Guardian.

Our story on the Spalding legend of underground tunnels linked to an ancient priory sparked debate – and opened a new mystery about a tunnel in Whaplode.

Many Spalding shops have cellars affording glimpses of priory ruins but, so far, no one has found hard evidence of a tunnel.

In Thursday’s Spalding Guardian, county council historic environment officer Louise Jennings poured cold water on the legend, asking why monks would go underground when, in the days before street lights, they could sneak about under cover of darkness.

But readers appear to be sticking to their own views on the legend.

Our story revealed Louise had seen part of the priory ruins when visiting a shop cellar.

But reader Rachael Lynn, who once worked in a town centre shop, believes the ruins were “bricked up to look like cellars”.

Ayscoughfee Hall shared a link to our story, saying: “What do you think? We’re meant to have tunnels leading under the river from here too!”

Geologist Tim Langdale-Smith told us that Spalding’s ground is unconsolidated (soft and wet) clay, silt and sand “that causes even shallow excavations to collapse if unsupported”.

He said: “Any tunnels would have been a nightmare to excavate by hand without de-watering. Even now the groundwater beneath Spalding rises and falls with the tide!”

Whaplode reader Keith Welch told us about tunnels in his village, reputedly dug when MP Sir Anthony Irby was under house arrest.

Sir Anthony was one of Oliver Cromwell’s commanders and his tomb is in the village church.

Two Millgate homes carry the Irby name followed by ‘House’ or ‘Hall’, although the House and Hall names were at some stage swapped, according to David Rous, who renovated Irby House 25 years ago.

He says his work was so extensive it would have uncovered any tunnels, if they existed.

The renovation means parts of his home can be dated back at least 460 years and he believes it sits on the site of a monastery.

Fellow Millgate resident Stephanie Brown said: “We have been told there’s definitely a tunnel from our house through to the church and that it links to Irby House.”

Stephanie and husband Ian had their cellars bricked up but Stephanie hopes one day to get to the bottom of the story by researching archives in Lincoln.

Archaeologist Louise believes it unlikely that a tunnel was dug over such a distance with the MP under house arrest because there would have been nowhere to dispose of the vast amount of soil – and it would have been easier for his friends to visit him rather than Irby going underground.

Previously ...

Exploding myth of Spalding’s tunnels

A house in Spalding where three men died after fire ripped through it is to be auctioned off for at least £50,000.

Leathercote House in Tower Lane, off Cowbit Road, is one of the items on a list of lots to be sold at an auction in London starting at noon on Tuesday.

The sale to the highest bidder, conducted by Harman Healy Auctioneers of Surrey, comes just 14 months after three men aged between 38 and 53 suffered fatal injuries in a fire thought to have been started by an illegal cigarette.

An inquest last December into the deaths of Marian Laczynski (38), Pawel Lazarewicz (53) and Sylwester Grabczewski (42) concluded that their deaths were as a result of misadventure.

In an advertisement for the sale, Harman Healy Auctioneers deacribed the house as a “severely fire-damaged, four- bedroom, Grade II-Listed detached property that requires rebuilding or redevelopment”.

The £50,000 “guide price”, according to the auctioneers, is “an indication of the current minimum acceptable price” for sellers HSBC Bank.

But Harman Healy Auctioneers added: “The guide price may not be the minimum sale price, which can be higher or lower (than £50,000).”

More arts events for children and young people are coming to South Holland after a four-year grant worth nearly £1 million was awarded.

Spalding’s South Holland Centre, a part of Lincolnshire One Venues (LOV), is to get a boost in funding of about 20 per cent through investment by Arts Council England.

Altogether, just under £250,000 a year will be shared out between South Holland Centre and arts organisations in Grantham, Lincoln, Louth and Stamford over the next four years.

According to Arts Council England, the extra cash “will help enhance their community outreach and social development work to reach new audiences, including children and young people”.

A South Holland District Council spokesman, on behalf of the arts centre, said: “It is great news that LOV, which South Holland Centre is part of, has secured this funding.

“It should help us bring the inspiration and enjoyment of the arts to even more people, some of whom would not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in South Holland.

“We have been working a lot with local young people over the past few years and we are looking forward to developing this further.”

LOV is one of four groups in Lincolnshire to share in nearly £2.7 million of cash from Arts Council England, with the others based in East Lindsey, Lincoln and North Kesteven.

But it is the only group to get extra cash and Peter Knott, area director for Arts Council England, said: “We are delighted to be increasing our investment in LOV over the next four years.

“LOV works with people to develop artistic skills and it will be great to see our investment help create a community and social development programme to reach new audiences.”

An approach from Lincolnshire Community Land Trust could be a step to new homes being built in the village.

The parish council responded to the trust’s letter about community-led housing with an invitation for representatives to speak to councillors and members of the public at a future meeting.

Coun Michael Booth, a former housing committee chairman with South Holland District Council, said: “There are a lot of people who need housing, certainly our first time people who want to get on the housing ladder.

“If it does create a few houses for Sutton Bridge, I think the people of Sutton Bridge would be interested to hear what they have got to say.”

Projects have happened in other places, where parish councils have helped provide land for building.

Coun Booth said: “It’s been done in the past and it’s a route to getting houses built.”